Stochastic modeling of gob gas venthole production performances in active and completed longwall panels of coal mines

► Probability distributions for the input data were created for use in Monte Carlo simulations of the modified deterministic models presented above. ►Analysis of the output from the Monte Carlo simulations indicated that overall production rates were generally higher for GGVs over completed, inactive (C-I) longwall panels, but that methane concentrations were likely to be slightly lower in the produced gas stream for C-I panels than for advancing, active (A-A) panels. ► This research quantifies the likelihood of operating a GGV within a given range of production rates and methane concentrations, using a stochastic modeling method. ► The stochastic model presented here for forecasting GGV performance can be used both in design of longwall GGVs and in optimizing operating parameters of existing GGVs to more efficiently extract methane from working areas of underground mines.